


Life With You Makes Perfect Sense (You’re My Best Friend)

by xo_stardust720



Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: AU, F/M, Fluff, Romanogers Appreciation Week 2016, natasha romanov - Freeform, romanogers - Freeform, steve rogers - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-10
Updated: 2016-02-10
Packaged: 2018-05-19 12:34:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5967568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xo_stardust720/pseuds/xo_stardust720
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of snapshots throughout Steve’s and Natasha’s lives.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Life With You Makes Perfect Sense (You’re My Best Friend)

**Author's Note:**

> Notes: Written for Romanogers Appreciation Week 2016!  
> Prompt #3 – You Two Against the World

**_When Steve was five years old, all he really wanted was a friend to play with._ **

Having been born a sickly child, Steve Rogers spent the first five years of his life mostly in isolation, living in and out of hospitals on a regular basis. He would spend his time looking out his window as all the other sick children gathered around and played board games and just generally laughed with each other. As Steve grew, he gradually began to get better and stronger, until the day came that he was well enough to be able to attend kindergarten and begin his schooling. His health was still considered poor by regular standards and after a particularly nasty asthma attack one winter morning during recess, Steve was once again confined indoors while the other children played outside and threw snowballs at each other.  The only good thing about this situation was that he didn’t have to go back to the hospital and therefore, at every recess Steve sat with his teacher without complaint.

But being different made the other kids in his class afraid of him. Play times and recess were always spent alone, with Steve sitting by himself with only his sketchbooks for company. No one understood why he had to drag around a portable oxygen concentrator, or that the constant stream of giggles that followed whenever he made those wheezing-high-pitched noises because his chest was feeling tight, made Steve feel lonelier than he ever had before. His mother once told him that if he wanted to make friends, all he had to do was be himself. _But what did that mean?_ Steve had tried to join the group of boys one time when they were building blocks and playing with dinosaurs but they just told him to go away. And he had been to shy to try again since then. He had been so excited for school, so excited for the chance to make a friend – only to find out that it was exactly the same situation as it always was.

Until one day, it was different.

“Hi.”

Steve looked up from his notebook where he had been doodling a small picture of a bird, to see a little red headed girl standing before him. It was quiet in the classroom, the other children having gone outside to play while their teacher sat at her desk distracted by the work she had to do. The girl was new to his school, having transferred in halfway through the school year from Russia.

The little girl paid no attention to Steve's dumb found look and proceeded to sit down next to him, pulling her crayons and coloring book out of her backpack and placing them onto the table in front of her. “I’m going to sit here and color,” she informed him in a tone of voice that only five year olds could seem to master, all haughty and cute at the same time.

Steve stared at her, having no clue what to say but there was hope starting to bloom in his heart. He finally had someone sitting next to him for the first time! 

“My name is Natasha.”

Silence.

“My daddy told me that only my friends should call me Nat,” she told him in a bossy, matter-of-fact tone.

Steve’s heart sank and he looked back down at his drawing.

“So you can call me Nat.”

Steve’s head snapped back up, giving Natasha an incredulous look. She was smiling at him, waiting for his response, her curly red hair tied up in pigtails shining brightly underneath the classroom lights.  

_She sure has pretty hair._

Realizing that Natasha was still waiting for a response from him, Steve blushed. “Can I call you Natty instead?” he whispered.

The little girl scrunched up her face in thought. “Okay,” she nodded, looking at him seriously. “But only you can call me that and no one else.”

He gave her a bashful smile. “Okay.”

“What’s your name anyway?”

“Steve,” he answered shyly.

Natasha reached back into her backpack and pulled out her little pink lunchbox that was decorated with rainbow stickers and smiley faces. “Want to share my apples, Steve?”

 ** _When Steve was five years old, he met a little girl with curly red hair in pigtails and green eyes. She had a Russian accent that other kids sometimes made fun of her for but she was tough and gave as good as she got - and that made him want to be tough too. She had a wild imagination and liked to tell stories of princesses, of dark knights and dragons, and during recess she would always share all her snacks with him. Her name was Natasha Romanoff, and she became his best friend in the entire world_** _._  

\--- 

**_When Natasha was seven years old, she learned what fear really was._ **

Steve always had a harder time during the winter months.

His health had been gradually improving over the last couple of years but every once in awhile his illnesses would get the better of him.

And this was one of those times.

Opening his eyes, he immediately recognized the sterile white walls of an isolation room. Being isolated meant that this particular asthma attack had been nasty and that he had to be extra careful. He hated hospitals more than any other place in the world. Asthma attacks were tricky – anything could set them off and this time, it had been the fact that he wanted to play outside in the snow with Natasha. His friend had wanted to build a snowman and he had wanted to help her. Everything started off fine at first but then a strong gust of wind blew in and the next thing he knew, he was waking up here.

“Hi honey.”

Steve looked over to see his mother leaning over him, a mask covering her face. Her gloved hand reached over to grab his, and instantly he felt comforted.

“You gave us all quite a scare, darling. But don’t worry; you’ll be just fine. The doctor said you have to stay a few days but as soon as you’re all better, you’ll be released!” Sarah Rogers’ eyes shone with relief. “And Natasha hasn’t stopped asking about you! In fact, she’s waiting right outside to see you if you’re up for it. She’s very worried about you.”

Warmth blossomed in Steve’s heart as he looked out the window to see his friend standing on the other side of the glass with her father and waving frantically when they made eye contact. Gone were the lonely days when all Steve wanted was a friend – here was someone wanting to see him, _waiting_ to see him. Steve grinned; his smile brighter than his mother had ever seen it. “Yeah, I want to see Natty,” he whispered.

Minutes later, Natasha bounded through the door, dressed from head to toe in hospital gear. If she thought Steve looked strange being all hooked up to various wires, she didn’t let it show. Instead, the redhead rushed right up to Steve and climbed onto the chair that was next to the bed. She handed him a new teddy bear that she had purchased and proceeded to tell him everything that he had missed at school that day, and how scared she was when she saw him lying on the ground (“Never do that again Steve!”) during his asthma attack. Neither child noticed that they were now alone in the room.

Sarah Rogers stepped outside and went to stand beside Natasha’s father, watching their children interact with one another through the glass window. “Thank you so much for bringing her here,” tears filled her eyes as a small smile appeared on her face. “You don’t know what it means to know that Steve finally has a true friend. She’s done wonders for him. I'm _so_ grateful he found her.”

Ivan chuckled. “Oh, I’m pretty sure it was Natasha who found him. And it was no trouble,” he paused. “My girl is stubborn. Ever since she met your son, it’s been _‘Steve this and Steve that’_ … Believe me, even though she’s seven, she would’ve found a way to get down to the hospital, with or without me. She’s too smart for her own good. I suspect before long, we’ll officially be a family.”

“You really think so?” Sarah smiled at the thought.

“I’d bet my life on it.”

**_When Natasha was seven, she had her first lesson on what fear really was. It wasn’t monsters in the closet or having bad dreams after watching something that she wasn’t supposed to. Fear was seeing Steve gasping and struggling to breathe and then passing out on the ground, while the other children stood around, pointing and whispering behind their hands. Fear was seeing Steve lying in a hospital bed with an oxygen mask strapped to his face. It was the helpless feeling that accompanied it, of knowing that there was nothing she could do to help her friend._ **

**_“You’re the first person ever to visit me in the hospital, you know.”_ **

**_“What about your mom?”_ **

**_“She’s my mom, she doesn’t count.” Steve smiled at her. “I’m glad you’re not scared. These machines can look pretty scary.”_ **

**_“Don’t be silly,” Natasha rolled her eyes. “You’re my best friend. I’ll never be scared of you.”_ **

****

\---

**_When Natasha was eight years old, all she wanted was the Black Widow Doll._ **

Mr. Romanoff had taken her and Steve to see _The Avengers_ movie one weekend and from that moment on, Natasha had idolized Scarlett Johansson and all her kick-ass ways. From her fiery, flowing, long locks to her gun-toting ways, there was nothing about the character Black Widow that Natasha didn’t love. “Did you see how she took down _all_ those bad guys, Steve? The Black Widow can do anything! She's so smart and pretty, and when she and Captain America saved the day with all those explosions, it was so cool! I want to learn how to do backward flips just like her!"

Steve nodded along. “It would be pretty neat to be able to throw a shield the way Captain America does.”

Later that year Marvel came out with a line of toys, a doll for each Avenger and they were the most popular items on the market.  Naturally, Natasha wanted the Black Widow doll. All the girls in her class had one! But economic times were tough and the Romanoff family were one of the many that had to start penny pinching. Going to the movies was a rare treat, and they couldn’t afford to spend much money on such “frivolous things” as her father had called it. Heartbroken, Natasha had to admit defeat.

Her world moved on and she went back to the normalcy that was her life - homework, going to school, swim lessons, and play time with Steve. Although lately, Steve had begun spending less and less time with her, always needing to head back home after an hour or so and Natasha was starting to get quite sad about it. He was keeping a secret from her, she could tell, and she couldn’t figure out what it was.

And then one day, it became all clear.

There was a knock on her bedroom door one sunny Saturday morning and Natasha was delighted to see Steve standing on the other side of it. “Hi Natty,” the blonde beamed, both hands were behind his back. “I have a surprise for you!” His enthusiasm was infectious and Natasha found herself smiling back, knowing that whatever the surprise Steve had, she was going to love it. Her friend just looked so proud of himself as he handed her a clumsy wrapped package.

Inside was a framed picture of the Black Widow. It was a drawing that Steve had done, his talent for art already displaying impressive feats for an eight-year-old boy. Natasha immediately fell in love with it, her eyes taking in the color of Black Widow’s long red hair, her intimidating pose, and with her guns at her side. Steve had even drawn the Black Widow holding Captain America’s shield!

Natasha clutched the picture to her chest. “Thank you Steve!” she was grinning so hard, her cheeks were hurting. “This is awesome! Is this why you couldn’t play with me? Because you were to busy drawing?”

Steve nodded. “I wanted to buy you the Black Widow doll,” he told her. “But I didn’t have enough money. I just wanted to cheer you up.”

“This is the best present I’ve ever gotten!”

**_When Natasha was eight years old, she learned that there were some things that were more important than getting the latest toy. She learned to appreciate Steve’s thoughtfulness, admired his talent for drawing. And through the many presents that Steve would gift her with years down the line, this drawing of Black Widow would always remain her favourite._ **

\---

**_When Steve was ten years old, he met James Buchanan Barnes._ **

From the moment Bucky saved Steve from some bullies in the parking lot at the corner store, their friendship was cemented. It was the kind of friendship that was easy, as if they had been friends all their lives instead of a few short weeks – the two of them clicking together. It felt nice having a new friend around to hang out with. Bucky had introduced Steve the world of video games and from that moment on, he was hooked. A couple of weeks went by and everyday after school, he would head over to Bucky’s house and the two of them would get lost in the world of Mario Kart.

There was only one problem.

_Natasha hated Bucky._

Steve couldn’t understand why his best friend and his new friend just couldn’t get along. And quite frankly, it was starting to annoy the heck out of him.

And it wasn’t like Bucky didn’t try to get along with Natasha. Steve had made sure that Bucky in no uncertain terms understood that he would never leave Natasha behind. She was his best friend and if Bucky wanted to be friends with him, he would have to be friends with Natasha as well. Bucky just shrugged and made sure to invite Natasha along with them to play video games as well. The redhead had always scoffed at the invitations and turned her nose up in the air, stomping away.

“What’s wrong with you?” Steve cried out with frustration, one particular sunny afternoon. The three of them were at the park and Bucky had just suggested a game of pickup basketball to which Natasha had vehemently refused. Bucky stood off to the side, watching awkwardly as Steve and Natasha glared at each other. “Buck’s just trying to be nice to you! Why are you always so mean? What did he do to you?”

“He didn’t do anything!” Natasha yelled right back. She no longer looked angry and tears were rapidly filling her eyes. “It’s you! It’s you who doesn’t want to be my friend anymore!” And then she ran off, leaving Steve to stare after her, dumbfounded.

Bucky came to stand beside Steve. “I think you need to go talk to her Stevie.”

Steve had known Natasha for five years now and in all that time, he had only ever seen his friend cry once – and it was when he had been all laid up in a hospital bed when he was seven. It was a strange sight to see her crying, he mused as he stood in the doorway of her bedroom. He didn’t like it.

He didn’t like it at all.

Steve cross the room, climbed onto Natasha’s bed and settled in next to her. “Natasha, please talk to me. What did you mean when you said I didn’t want to be your friend anymore?”

Green eyes stared at him and Natasha sat up, wiping the tears from her eyes with her sleeve. She pulled her knees in and hugged them to her chest. “Because you don’t.”

Hurt filled him. “That’s not true! You’re my best friend! Why would you say that?”

“You missed my recital.”

And suddenly Steve remembered the promise he had made to Natasha to attend her performance months back. His friend had been working so hard; it was her first dance recital where she was the lead and he had promised he would come watch her dance. He remembered so clearly now that her first performance was last weekend and he had forgotten all about it, instead he had gone over to Bucky’s house to play video games. Shame and guilt filled him. While he had been busy making sure that Bucky knew that he would never leave Natasha behind, he had forgotten to inform Natasha of the same thing. “Oh Natty, I’m so sorry.”

“You spend all your time with Bucky now. Is he your new best friend?”

“You’re my best friend, Nat!” Steve looked at her earnestly. “You’ll always be my best friend, no matter what. It’s us against the world forever!”

Natasha gave him a small smile. “Promise?”

“Promise! And I’ll never miss another dance recital again! I’ll come to every one from now on!”

Natasha rolled her eyes. “You don’t have to come to every one. It would get boring if you watched the same dances over and over again.”

“I still want to come see you dance.”

“I have another one tomorrow.”

“Then I’ll come to that one.”

Natasha looked at him and bit her lip. “You can bring Bucky if you want.”

“Really?” Steve beamed.

“Really.”

**_When Steve was ten years old, he met James Buchanan Barnes. The two of them became thick as thieves, bonding over sports and video games. And while Bucky became Steve’s other best friend almost instantly, it took awhile for Natasha and Bucky to become friends too. Eventually they did, and Steve couldn’t have been happier about that._ **

**_But no matter what, from then on, Steve always made sure that Natasha knew she was his best girl. Nothing and no one would ever take her place in his life. His best friend, for always._ **

\---

**_When Steve was thirteen years old, he found Natasha crying by the big oak tree near the bleachers that was located behind their school._ **

It was the third time in his life that he had ever seen Natasha crying.

Steve decided right then and there, that the thing he hated most in the world was seeing Natasha cry.

“Hi Natty.” He sat down next to her and gave her a kind smile. “What’s wrong? Why are you crying?”

Natasha wiped her eyes, avoiding his gaze. “Nothing. You’ll think it’s stupid.”

“It’s not stupid if it’s making you cry,” Steve told her.

“I hate high school, Steve. The girls in ninth grade are mean,” she answered, tears filling her eyes again.

High school was a rough time for everybody. For Natasha especially. Steve knew that she was having a rough time fitting in. At the start of the year, Steve had noticed that his friend had started to look different. She had gotten braces and her body was starting to develop curves, and everything just somehow started to _feel_ different. Things were changing between them and neither one knew how to address it.

Every time Steve saw Natasha, he couldn’t help but think she was really pretty.  

“What did those girls say?” It took awhile for him to coax her into telling him what was wrong. But Steve could be just as stubborn as Natasha when he wanted to be, and eventually, he got the entire story.

“I hate my red hair, Steve. I’m the only red head in the school and all the girls called me carrot-top. I hate my braces. They called me ugly,” tears were streaming down Natasha’s cheeks again. “They said that no boy would ever want to kiss me because I’m so ugly, and I don’t wear nice clothes, and I’ll never be part of the popular crowd ever.”

Anger coursed through Steve. “Those girls were wrong! You’re not ugly, you’re the prettiest girl in school and they’re just jealous of you. And I like your hair. You should be proud that there’s no one else like you in school.”

Natasha rolled her eyes. “You’re just saying that because you’re my best friend, Steve.”

“Then you should listen to me, and not those girls.”  

By now, Natasha had stopped crying. She wiped her eyes and faced him. “Do you really think I’m pretty?”

Steve blushed. “The prettiest,” he whispered.

“Do you think boys will want to kiss me one day?”

Steve swallowed, his mouth suddenly going dry. “I would.”

Green eyes stared at him. “Really?”

“If you want me to.”

Natasha smiled at him, her braces flashing. “Okay.”

**_When Steve was thirteen years old, he received his first kiss from a girl. But it wasn’t just any girl, it was from Natasha and Steve found that he liked kissing his friend._ **

**_He wanted to do it again and again._ **

\---

**_When Natasha was seventeen years old, all she wanted was Steve to ask her go with to prom with him._ **

Gone were the awkward high school days when Natasha worried about fitting in. It was amazing how much more confident she became once she stopped caring about what her peers thought. It was also ironic that the moment she stopped caring about being popular and fitting in, was the moment that she _did_ become popular. Her love of dance had certainly helped her when she joined the cheerleading squad, which in turned cemented her popularity among the students at Shield High School also.

One of the things that made Natasha different and well liked, was the fact that she was _nice_ to everyone and that went a long way. She wasn’t like the other popular girls that were mean and used fear and intimidation to get what they wanted – nope; Natasha Romanoff was kind and helped everyone she could. What also helped was that Natasha had grown up to be a beautiful young lady. Her braces had come off and her hair was now long, and shiny. It was the kind of fiery red that made her stand out from a crowd and everyone noticed. It was one of the reasons why most of the guys in the school were gaga over her.

Not that Natasha ever noticed any of the other guys in the school, because from her perspective, there was only one guy that was worthy of her time.

Steve Rogers.

Her best friend.

Also known as the most clueless guy in history.

Natasha wasn’t sure when she started crushing on her best friend but she definitely realized it after Steve gave her, her first kiss. Her first and only kiss. She involuntarily smiled. She always did whenever she thought about that sunny afternoon. It was one of her most cherished memories. And as the years passed, she hoped that Steve would one day kiss her again. And with a bit of luck on her part, perhaps it would happen at prom.

Ah, prom.

Natasha had high hopes riding on this night - which was why she was leaving nothing to chance. She had already found the perfect dress and the perfect pair of shoes; all she needed now was the perfect guy. Ideally, she would’ve preferred to have Steve ask her to prom but knowing how shy he was, she was going to have to take matters into her own hands.

“Hi boys,” she grinned as she climbed the bleachers, heading over to where Steve and Bucky sat, lounging around as the cheerleading team finished practice. She tossed her pom poms to the side, and threw herself in the seat next to Steve, flipping her red hair over her shoulder as she did so. “What are you drawing?” She tried to take a peek at Steve’s sketchbook but he pulled it out of her reach.

“It’s a secret,” he smiled.

Natasha pouted, but she didn’t let it bother her for to long. “Hey,” she paused. “Are you guys taking anyone to the prom?”

“Need a date, Romanoff?” Bucky grinned and winked at her flirtatiously. “I’d be happy to take ya.”

“Sadly, I am without a date,” She wrinkled her nose, but laughed all the same. “I’m not sure if you can handle it though, Barnes. I’m way too much for you.”

“Too bad,” Bucky grabbed at his chest in mock hurt. “Guess it’s a good thing I already asked Darcy Lewis to prom.”

Natasha stuck her tongue out at him.

“No one’s asked you yet?” Steve looked surprised.

“They have,” she shrugged. “But I said no. Most of the boys at this school are morons. I’m pretty sure if I had said yes to one of them, I’d end up killing him before the night is over.”

Both Bucky and Steve laughed.

“So I still have this dilemma,” Natasha nudged Steve with her shoulders, her heart pounding loudly within her chest. “How ‘bout it, Rogers? Wanna be my date?”

“Me?” Steve blushed. “Are you sure you want to go with me?”

“Why not?”

Blue eyes stared at her and Natasha felt it go straight through her and into her core. After what felt like an eternity, Steve smiled and nodded. “I’d love to go with you. And thanks,” he paused. “For asking, I mean.”

Natasha beamed.

**_When Natasha was seventeen years old, she missed going to her high school prom._ **

**_They made plans but alas, things just weren’t meant to be._ **

**_And it didn’t matter; because there was one thing in the entire world that Natasha cared about more than anything. It wasn’t the perfect dress, or the perfect shoes –_ **

**_She cared about the perfect guy._ **

**_The night of the dance, there was a terrible accident. Sarah Rogers was driving home that night, eager to see her son and his best friend before they headed off, when a drunk driver ran a red light and crashed right into her car as she was turning. She lost control of the car, ploughing straight into a nearby lamppost and hitting her head hard on the steering wheel. The doctor later said that she died instantly on impact._ **

**_Natasha realized two things about herself that night. The first thing wasn’t really something new that she had learned; rather it was a fact that was reaffirmed. A part of her had always wondered if she was strong enough for anything that came her way, where Steve was concerned. Growing up, Steve had been so sickly that Natasha had always feared that he would somehow need her and she wouldn’t be able to pull through. Now, those doubts were washed away. Now, she knew. She WAS strong enough. As she sat next to Steve, gripping his hand tight while he spoke with the doctor, she vowed that she would always stand by his side. No matter what._ **

**_The second thing?_ **

**_It wasn’t just a school girl crush._ **

**_She would absolutely do anything for Steve Rogers._ **

**_Why? Because she was completely, irrevocably, deeply in love with him._ **

\---

**_It finally happened when they were twenty-one._ **

It was inevitable, really.

Perhaps it was the heat of the moment, or years and years of built up sexual frustration that drove them to it… but if one were to ask how it happened or what led to it happening, neither Steve nor Natasha could tell you.

But the fact remains the same: it was inevitable.

What happened was this:

It was a dark and stormy Friday night when Steve finally made it home to the apartment he shared with Natasha. He was completely soaked to the bone and Natasha was there, laughing at his misfortune at being caught in the rain, while handing him a towel so he could dry off. The exact moment their fingers touched, thunder boomed throughout the skies, and all of the lights in their apartment went out and cloaked them in darkness. Through the flashes of lightning outside their living room window, they could still see one another and their eyes connected.

The air between them changed, crackled with tension, and mixed with intense anticipation.

Steve tugged at Natasha’s hand and suddenly she was in his arms, their mouths fused together. It was almost like a dance, the way the two of them moved together as pieces of clothing disappeared one by one, until there was nothing left but the two of them. Natasha absolutely loved the way Steve touched her, sighing with contentment with the amount of pleasure he was bringing to her. Likewise, Steve would never forget the way she kissed him, her hands gripping his hair and hugging him tight like she would never let him go. The air was filled with panting breaths, moans, and whimpers. There was no need for talking, no awkwardness hung between them and they revelled within one another, lost in the moment.

And in the morning, with the sun shining through the windows and all signs of the storm from the night before all gone, Natasha woke up to see Steve’s blue eyes smiling at her. She beamed and leaned up to kiss him, sighing with happiness at how _right_ all of this felt. “I love you,” she whispered.

Steve kissed her deeper. “I love _you_.”

She settled within his arms, her head pillowed on his chest. “Where do we go from here?”

“What we always do,” he kissed her forehead. “It’s us against the world.”

**_Steve and Natasha._ **

**_Natasha and Steve._ **

**_Forever and always._ **

**\---**

 

**Author's Note:**

> Trying out my writing skills for the first time! Please feel free to leave any comments. Constructive criticism is always appreciated! Also, Natasha's personality in this fic is what I always imagined it would be like if she hadn't become an assassin.


End file.
